What Absence Makes
by D. Wander
Summary: AUish AUish "You waited...two years..for.." He quickly regained himself.  "I thought you died...at the lighthouse...you…"  He trailed off."  "...I should've been.  By Charon's hand, I should've died at the lighthouse." Duskshipping and implied others WIP
1. Karst

Anyway, since school's been my main devotion for quite a while (undergrad and now grad school), I've had little time to devote to writing. Truthfully, I don't think I would've posted anything in Golden Sun for another few years. But thanks to Sunruner for your amazing re-review of one of my stories (that in truth after rereading it was…er…not my best work I believe) I've decided to try and write again. With your review (hopefully you're reading this), I'm re-inspired to write. So a BIG thanks to Sunruner!

Disclaimer: I don't own Golden Sun

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+Karst+

She had grown tired. Two years had slipped by and not a single letter, package, or visit. She had already imagined multiple reasons why he had never attempted contact.

His sister black mailed him to never leave.

Master Puelle had threatened him. Puelle was always looking out for her to the point of obsessive.

His parents forbid him.

He thought her dead.

He found someone and had new responsibilities.

He had forgotten about her.

The last thought sent a flare of anger. "Charon take me! I will find him and I will punch him!"

If her assumptions were right, a boat would be leaving in four days. Adding the days at sea, a short stop, followed by a long walk…she would arrive in a little before three weeks had passed.

It would have to do.

+++++++++Duskshipping+++++++++

Agatio had arrived for a visit two days before her leave. She double checked her items, while he stood in the middle of her home.

"I still don't understand why you're leaving."

"Do I care?" She smirked at him, pleased when he groaned.

"He's done his part for us. We don't need him or any of them for that matter."

She didn't like that. Agatio was talking like that idiot Alex. "Shut up Agatio. Or by Megarea's blade, I will make you." She added a glare for good measure.

He raised his hands in defeat. "Alright." She finished with her review and walked over to the fire pit settled into the wall. The stew she made was meager in portion but decent in flavor. She spooned out one bowl full then another. The first was handed to him, and the second she kept and sat down, motioning him to join her. Agatio sat across from the fire pit and greedily ate. She too finished the meal in a short amount of time.

"The ship leaves in two days."

"Yeah. I'll leave tonight and sleep at the second Wait Station."

"Why not the first?"

"Because." She was eager. Eager to get out. To see him. "It's the best out of the three."

He laughed. "They're all the same, Karst."

"Says you." She snapped back with a hint of a smile.

+++++++++Duskshipping+++++++++

Vale was in her sight now. A wooden archway greeted her in the setting sun. She paused outside of it. She flipped her scythe gracefully in the air and let it slid into its handle strap on her back. It slipped between her shoulders and her pack with ease. No need to cause unnecessary panic. She had already had people from previous towns stare at her and panic upon sight of her weapon. She wanted to avoid that here. Panic would ruin…ruin what?

Walking forward, she kept the weapon out of hand. There weren't many people out. That wouldn't do. How in Mars' name was she going to find him? She was tempted to go knock on someone's door and ask for directions, when she saw an older man by one of two wells. She got closer to him before saying, "Excuse me, sir."

He looked up at her, "Yes?"

"Do you know where a man named Felix lives?"

The man eyed her, "Yeah. He lives up there. Second tier of cliffs, fifth house after the bridge. It's the one on the end."

"Thanks." She quickly left the man and followed the stone stairs up to the second tier. Over a small brigade. One. Two. Three. Four. Five.

The house he had pointed to was a single structure. It was the last house, built near the edge of the cliff. She noticed it wasn't overly large, but hardly small. It was there, standing before the door, she suddenly had doubts and questions.

Why was she seeing him?

This was all a waste of time.

What if he didn't want to see her?

There was no point being here.

The door suddenly flew open.

"Karst?"

His voice hadn't changed.

She stared.

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Review please!


	2. Felix

+Felix+

At first he didn't know what to say after her name. Then etiquette kicked in, "Would you like to come in?"

And she did. He closed the door softly behind him. He had seen her though the window by chance. The dish he had been drying almost fell from his hands when he had laid eyes on her. At first he believed his mind was tricking him, but now…

Karst wandered around the living area, her scythe settled by the doorway. Her dark eyes taking in his home. He noticed her hair had grown out. Though she still had tresses that hang down to her chin, Karst had let more hair grow out in the back, giving her ponytail more body.

"You're living alone, now?"

Her voice snapped him back to attention. "Yeah. Built it about a year ago."

"Oh."

He cleared his throat. "Would you like some tea?"

She looked away from the picture his mother had bought him from a traveling merchant; a painting of rolling hills and a distant ocean. She strode towards him, eyes narrowed, hands clenched. Warning bells surfaced in the back of his mind and for a brief moment, the image of her was overlaid with a younger version of her and the brown walls became white. Then it was gone just as she punched him. He hadn't expected that, so he fell to the ground, a sore jaw for his troubles. He looked at her from the floor, truly astonished.

"Two years and you have the blood to ask if I would like some tea!" Karst yelled. "Two years, I've waited, Felix…TWO YEARS!"

"You waited….two years…for…" He quickly regained himself. "I thought you died…..at the lighthouse….you…" He trailed off.

"….I should've been. By Charon's hand, I should've died at the lighthouse." She spoke, her voice suddenly quite.

He watched as Karst seemingly observed the floor.

"And Agatio?"

"He lives."

She was calmer now, he could tell by her posture. Arms no longer crossed and her feet firmly apart and legs relaxed. He got up slowly. "How long after...when did they find you?"

"They didn't find us. After you took the Mars Star…" She shook her head. "It felt like…like there was no substance, no air. No sight, no sound. It…was like an eternity passed by. Then I heard something. My own heartbeat. Then feeling came. Hot then cold. Back and forth, like my body couldn't find the right temperature. Then sight. But slowly, along with more sounds. And memories. From my childhood right up until the moment I…I died…or was going to die."

He blinked. She had been so close to dying…Had the psynergy that aided his parents' spirits and Isaac's father's spirit reach Karst and Agatio?

"We eventually awoke…alive...in the lighthouse. Like waking from a long sleep. Everything that had been so clear before was now muddled and foggy. It took at most a day before we remembered ourselves…our home..."

By now, he had coaxed her into sitting at the table with a cup of tea in both of their hands. Though, neither touched the herb liquid.

He wasn't sure what to say. What could he say? He glanced out the window, the sun having bid Vale goodnight…how long ago? He looked back at her. She was staring at her cup, balancing it on its base. She waited for two years…for him…? Standing up, he emptied his cup and set it on the counter to be cleaned tomorrow. "I'll show you to the spare room." He watched as Karst glared. He tensed, not wanting an argument. He was blessed, as she merely slipped from the chair and waited for him to lead.

The spare room, he was glad to have followed his mother's advice and his father urging to have one, was simple; a single bed, a dresser, a small end table, and a window looking over the edge of the cliff. Again, he thanked his mother's advice to take the plot at the end. It offered the best views of the newly built Vale.

She studied the room, walking over to the window were she looked out. The land was bathed in dim light from the moon, giving the scene a silver glow. He then remembered the pack she had and slipped out to grab it. When he returned, she was still staring out the window. He quietly placed it by the bed, but she turned to face him regardless.

"…It's…nice…"

He almost laughed at her attempt to compliment his home. Karst had never been the best to supply praise, unless it was centered on fighting. Though, he recalled her grudgingly complimenting on his psynergy skills back in Prox.

"Karst…" he began then paused. "…Goodnight."

Then he walked out of her room towards his. Shutting the door softly, he leaned against it and sighed. Changing into a loose shirt and pants, he slipped into his bed. Staring at the ceiling his mind wandered over the night's events. While, he was overwhelmed by it all, he knew for certain that he was truly glad to see Karst.


End file.
